Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

Chapter 359 The Great Qian Dynasty's Number One Fierce General - Guan Qilin!

The capital city, the Zichen Palace.

"Great! Excellent! Haha—a resounding victory!"

Emperor Li Zheng smiled and excitedly stood up from the dragon throne.

He had taken a considerable amount of time to recuperate since the assassination attempt at the Great Buddha Temple.

but,

Judging from his current appearance, he seems to be in much better spirits.

People are in good spirits on happy occasions!

He looked up at the assembled officials in the court and said:

"I have ordered General Li Qiong of the Ministry of War to lead an expedition to Hanzhong to quell the rebellion, and at the same time ordered Chen Jie of Qingzhou in Shandong to mobilize the Ximentang army to go south to assist."

"It seems that my decision this time was finally correct!"

"That little thief Li Ben has fled in disarray, retreating to Yueyang Prefecture and leaving Hanzhong! Hahaha—!"

Everyone in the court quickly kowtowed and echoed, "Your Majesty is wise!"

The situation in the Great Qian Dynasty has been turbulent recently.

Not only the Kwantung Army in Northeast China, but also others were eyeing the situation covetously.

The Kwantung Army, with hundreds of thousands of troops, is stationed at Shanhaiguan Pass, and could attack Hebei at any time, heading straight for the capital.

in addition,

The Kwantung Army's eight fleets swaggered across the Yellow River, the Bohai Sea, and the East China Sea, blockading the coastline.

After the Westerners were repelled.

The fleet captured by Ximentang is still undergoing repair and modification at the two major shipyards in Shandong and Tianjin.

That is,

Before Ximentang's fleet could even begin to show its strength, the Japanese took the opportunity to blockade the entire coastline of Daqian.

After the various regional princes of the Great Qian Dynasty raised their banners in rebellion, the situation had spiraled out of control.

The Western Regions, Tibet, and other places have already declared their secession from the Great Qian Dynasty.

Emperor Li Zheng's hair has turned quite a bit white recently.

But today, finally some good news has arrived.

Li Zheng was in a great mood after reading the memorial.

It turns out that General Li Qiong of the Ministry of War had captured Wuchang Prefecture and sent a report of victory to the capital.

The memorial stated that after dozens of fierce battles with the rebels, the Daqian army swept away the elite troops of Prince Li Ben's rebel army in places such as Huangshi Prefecture, Xianning Prefecture, Tongshan County, Chongyang Prefecture, and Wuchang Prefecture.

The suppression of the rebellion was a complete success, with over 100,000 rebels killed and over 50,000 captured.

They also killed as many as 36 key members of the rebel army and recovered the entire Hanzhong region.

of course,

Li Qiong focused on describing the battle fought by Ximentang in Xianning Prefecture.

He did not deny Ximentang's contributions.

However, when it comes to seizing territory and recovering areas occupied by the rebels, the Daqian army led by Li Qiong certainly deserves more credit.

Apart from Xianning Prefecture, the rest of the area was occupied by generals under Li Qiong's command, and they encountered almost no obstacles.

Perhaps it was because Li Qiong's confidence had been inflated after he occupied Wuchang Prefecture.

He petitioned the court, hoping that Hong Yanchuan, the general guarding Hebei and Henan, and Tang Youwang, the general guarding Guangdong and Guangxi, could lead their troops into Hanzhong as soon as possible.

Li Qiong planned to join forces with the three sides, then launch a direct attack across the river to Yueyang, aiming to completely crush the army under the command of Prince Li Ben of Han.

As long as Li Ben, the Prince of Han, is not eliminated, he will always be a major threat to the court.

Emperor Li Zheng was naturally very happy after receiving the memorial.

Since the various regional princes raised their banners in rebellion, Li Zheng has been under immense pressure.

honestly,
He wasn't particularly nervous about the foreign invasion.

Because he knew very well that the foreign enemies were attacking the Great Qian Dynasty with the aim of gaining benefits.

Whether it was the Western Allied Forces, the Japanese, the Russians, or others, all they wanted was profit.

But as the situation changed, to his surprise, the Japanese appetite grew bigger and bigger.

Originally, the foreign enemies had no intention of occupying the territory of Daqian.

Westerners sold opium and established concessions with the aim of making profits without undermining the rule of the Great Qian Emperor.

However, after the Japanese occupied Northeast China, things took an unexpected turn for Emperor Li Zheng.

But no matter how many foreign enemies invaded, Emperor Li Zheng was not afraid.
As long as the Japanese touch upon the core interests of the powerful families of the Great Qian Dynasty, it will not only not affect their imperial rule, but may even consolidate the imperial rule.

However, the rebellions of local vassal kings were entirely different.

This could overthrow imperial rule.

Once a vassal king gains power and enters the capital, he could very well usurp the emperor's throne.

Internal struggles are often more bloody and brutal than external ones.

Therefore,
When Emperor Li Zheng heard that Prince Li Ben of Han had been utterly defeated and that the Daqian army had recovered the Hanzhong region, he was overjoyed.

Even the officials and civil servants couldn't help but get excited, since no one wanted the Great Qian Dynasty to be in turmoil.

For Emperor Li Zheng...

Li Qiong's victory is of profound significance.

After all, the Ministry of War's decision to send Li Qiong on the expedition, while simultaneously requesting Shandong Ximentang to send troops, was personally initiated by Emperor Li Zheng, who overruled objections.

This suppression of the rebellion in Hanzhong achieved a perfect result.

Moreover, the time was very short, less than half a month, before they defeated Li Ben, the Prince of Han, and forced him to retreat from the Hanzhong region.

As a result,
The rebellion of the vassal kings, which had been keeping Emperor Li Zheng up at night, could hopefully be quelled in one fell swoop.

Li Zheng was genuinely pleased with his decision.

Next, he addressed the assembled civil and military officials:

"My esteemed ministers, General Li Qiong mentioned in his memorial that Hong Yanchuan should lead his army south to join forces with Tang Youwang in a three-pronged attack on the traitor Li Ben. What do you all think?"

Yuan Zhen, the Vice Minister of War, stepped forward and spoke first:

"Your Majesty, we still need General Hong Yanchuan to be stationed in Hebei to deter the traitor Li Mu of the Northwest Army."

"The lands of Henan and Hebei are the gateways to the capital. Once General Hong Yan announces that he has led his army south, the gates to the capital will be wide open!"

"Therefore, I advise that we absolutely must not rashly mobilize Hong Yanchuan's army to march south!"

It is clear,
Yuan Zhen, the Vice Minister of War, belonged to the faction of the Duke of Ningguo and did not want Hong Yanchuan to send troops south.

before this,

Hong Yanchuan's army had always been used to contain Li Mu, the Prince of Ning in the Northwest, and was stationed in Hebei and Henan.

If Hong Yanchuan leads his army south, then the garrisons in Henan and Hebei will inevitably be replaced by other garrisons.

to be frank,
The Ningguo Duke's faction had no worries about the other factions within the Ministry of War of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Hong Yanchuan commanded an army of 200,000 men, which, when combined with the local militia, exceeded 300,000. The army was strong and well-equipped, and was the elite force of the Ministry of War of the Great Qian Dynasty. Not just anyone was qualified to replace him.

but,

What if Emperor Li Zheng suddenly loses his temper and sends Ximentang to guard the lands of Hebei and Henan?

That would be a huge problem!
Therefore,
Yuan Zhen, the Vice Minister of War, was instructed to speak first.

However, Li Zheng was in a good mood at the moment, and when he heard Yuan Zhen say that, he immediately felt a little unhappy.

Having finally recovered Hanzhong, the Daqian army has achieved a great victory. Shouldn't they press their advantage and pursue the enemy?
He said calmly:
"General Li Qiong of the Ministry of War and Xi Mentang's army completely defeated the rebel army of Li Ben in Hanzhong and retreated to Yueyang Prefecture."

"Now is the time to gather our forces, launch a three-pronged attack, and annihilate the traitor Li Ben in one fell swoop."

"If we allow the traitor Li Ben to grow stronger, the consequences will be endless and the situation will become even more troublesome in the future."

"Moreover, it's not about transferring all the troops from Henan and Hebei to the Hanzhong region. It's just about mobilizing 100,000 troops to join forces with Li Qiong and Tang Youwang's army, which would be enough to annihilate the traitor Li Ben."

"Currently, the Imperial Guards in the capital and the garrison in Tianjin number over 200,000, and there is no fighting at the moment. What's wrong with letting Hong Yanchuan lead his troops south to Hanzhong?"

He had always been thoroughly fed up with the power of the Ningguo Duke's faction.

To know,
When faced with coercion from the Western Allied Forces, the Duke of Ningguo and the Ninth Prince were on the same side.

On the surface, Hong Yanchuan belongs to Emperor Li Zheng's camp, but deep down, he has intricate connections with the Ninth Prince.

Therefore,
The internal relationships within the Great Qian Dynasty were intricate and complex, causing Emperor Li Zheng considerable headaches. Hearing Emperor Li Zheng's tone, one could sense his displeasure.

Yuan Zhen knew that she was not so pleasing in the emperor's eyes.

Although he wanted to say something more, he thought about it for a moment and then stepped back without making a sound.

At this time,

Imperial Advisor Feng Guoxuan stepped forward and said:

"Your Majesty, I believe that General Hong Yanchuan's decision to send troops to Hanzhong is imperative!"

"According to an urgent telegram from the military intelligence office, after the traitor Li Ben retreated to Yueyang Prefecture, his general Dong Chuan went to Xiangyang to conspire with Li Mu."

"Once Li Ben pledges allegiance to Prince Ning, Li Mu, he will inevitably pose the greatest threat to our Great Qian Dynasty."

"If we don't stop them, the rebels will surely march north and take the capital!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a great deal of discussion broke out in the imperial court.

Judging from the current situation, Prince Li Ben of Han does indeed intend to seek refuge with Prince Li Mu of Ning.

Although the two sides were enemies before this.

but,

Because the Japanese acted as intermediaries, it represented a powerful alliance.

Li Ben, the Prince of Han, suffered a great loss at the hands of Ximen Tang.

If he doesn't ally with Prince Ning, Li Mu, his situation will be very precarious.

The Northwest Army under Prince Ning, Li Mu, was incredibly powerful and ambitious, having acquired weapons and equipment from the Kwantung Army.

Therefore,
It became imperative for Hong Yan to send troops to Hanzhong to join forces with Li Qiong and Tang Youwang to encircle and block the remaining troops of Li Ben.

The question is no longer whether or not to send troops, but whether or not to prevent Prince Li Ben of Han from forming an alliance with Prince Li Mu of Ning.

For a while,
None of the court officials opposed Hong Yan's proposal to send troops to Hanzhong.

Li Zheng nodded and said:
"Good! Issue my decree, ordering Hong Yan to lead an army of 100,000 south to Hanzhong, station in Yueyang Prefecture, and annihilate the remnants of the traitor Li Ben."

"Furthermore, I ordered Ximen Tang to immediately send troops to Xiangyang to prevent Li Ben's rebel army from forming an alliance with Prince Ning, Li Mu."

"Before eliminating Li Mu, we must first completely annihilate Li Ben's rebel army!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Feng Guoxuan stepped forward hastily and said, "Your Majesty, please wait! You mustn't!"

Ok?
Emperor Li Zheng was taken aback upon hearing this.

He frowned slightly, never expecting that the Imperial Advisor Feng Guoxuan would stop him from issuing the imperial edict at this time.

He asked in surprise, "Grand Preceptor, why? Didn't you just say that Hong Yan's plan to send troops south was inevitable? Why are you saying it's impossible now?"

Feng Guoxuan quickly explained:

"Your Majesty, Hong Yan's southward march is inevitable, but Ximen Tang must not send troops to Xiangyang!"

In the imperial court, all the civil and military officials were stunned.

No one knew what the "Imperial Advisor" really meant.

Emperor Li Zheng seemed equally puzzled by the Grand Preceptor Feng Guoxuan's thoughts, and asked:

"Why can't Ximen Tang send troops to Xiangyang?"

Feng Guoxuan took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:

"I believe that Ximen Tang should send troops to Nanjing to connect the entire eastern coastline and break the blockade on the sea!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire court was in an uproar.

Yuan Chong from the Military Intelligence Bureau stepped forward and said:

"Your Majesty, the matter of Ximen Tang sending troops to Nanjing is absolutely unacceptable."

"The Ximen Hall currently occupies Songjiang Prefecture with 100,000 troops, and also has 100,000 troops stationed in Shandong, as well as troops stationed at the ports of Cangzhou and Tianjin!"

"Once Songjiang Prefecture, Jinling, Hanzhong, Shandong and other places are all occupied by Ximentang troops."

"Then the entire eastern coastal area of ​​the Great Qian Dynasty will be guarded by Ximentang!"

"At that time, who will be able to keep Ximen Tang in check?"

Feng Guoxuan shook his head and sighed:

"Lord Yuan, in the present Great Qian Dynasty, who can keep Ximen Tang in check?"

"The most urgent task is to lift the blockade at sea and open up overseas trade for the Great Qian Dynasty."

"Only with Ximen Tang stationed in Nanjing can the Japanese not dare to act rashly."

"And the southern Jiangsu region—!"

finished,

The Imperial Advisor, Feng Guoxuan, did not continue speaking.

Because the land of southern Jiangsu was originally a condition on which Emperor Li Zheng agreed to send troops to quell the rebellion for Ximen Tang.

Now, Ximentang has returned in triumph in Hanzhong.

Therefore, the land of southern Jiangsu will rightfully be handed over to the troops stationed by Ximentang and become under Ximentang's jurisdiction.

Yuan Chong was taken aback upon hearing this, realizing that what the Imperial Preceptor Feng Guoxuan said was true.

If the blockade on the sea is not broken, it will be detrimental to the Great Qian Dynasty in every way.

Currently, only the Ximen Hall has the power to break the maritime blockade.

but,

Jinling was garrisoned by Guan Qilin, the most valiant general of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Ximentang's desire to establish a presence in Nanjing differs slightly from its previous intention to establish a presence in Shandong.

This tough nut to crack in the Kwantung Army of the Japanese Empire naturally needed to be cracked by Ximen Tang.

Guan Qilin was not only the fiercest general of the Great Qian Dynasty, but also a disciple of the Imperial Guard's "Master of the Startling Cloud Sword".

If Guan Qilin could be used to restrain Chen Jie of Ximen Hall, that would be a perfect thing.

Based on the combined opinions of the court, Li Zheng concluded that the most urgent task was to have Ximen Tang stationed in Jinling.

because,

This was a condition he had agreed to for Chen Jie.

Ximentang helped the imperial court send troops to quell the rebellion, and the entire southern Jiangsu region will fall under Ximentang's jurisdiction.

In addition, a city was set aside in Hanzhong and garrisoned by Ximentang.

After the court meeting concluded, Emperor Li Zheng immediately issued an edict ordering Ximen Tang to send troops to Nanjing!
-

Chen Jie led the Ximentang army back to Shandong from the Hanzhong region.

the next day,
He then received a document from the imperial court ordering him to send troops to garrison Jinling.

in addition,

Minister of War Xu Shichang also made a request to him, asking him to go to Nanjing as soon as possible.

It turns out that since the various regional princes raised their banners in rebellion, Xu Shichang had been retreating all the way from Hangzhou and was now in Nanjing.

The rebellion throughout eastern Zhejiang unexpectedly escalated.

Before this, when Ximen Tang defeated the Western Allied Forces in Ningbo Prefecture, Zhejiang Province, the rebellion in Zhejiang Province was not as serious.

But now,

Rebellions broke out not only in Shaoxing, but also in Hangzhou, Taizhou and other places.

Even areas north of eastern Zhejiang have fallen.

The rebels occupied all areas surrounding Hangzhou, and nearly four-fifths of eastern Zhejiang had fallen.

Unexpectedly, while Ximentang was suppressing the rebellion in Hanzhong, a major battle also broke out in eastern Zhejiang, with the rebel army splitting into three routes.

Heading straight for the lake area and then north to open up a passage to Nanjing, the purpose is self-evident.

Another rebel force bypassed Songjiang Prefecture and headed straight for Suzhou Prefecture.

It is clear,
After the rebels seized eastern Zhejiang, they wanted to take over southern Jiangsu.

And at this moment,
The Daqian garrison in central Jiangxi also sent an urgent message to the imperial court, saying that the rebel army of Li Gang, the King of Southern Fujian, numbered 300,000 and was advancing northward!
In the southern and eastern parts of the Great Qian Dynasty, the Jianghu forces, local garrisons, and vassal kings were all mixed together.

Therefore,
Xu Shichang is now in a terrible predicament.

He received orders from the imperial court to await Ximentang's arrival in Jinling.

(End of this chapter)